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Example: However, I would be able to transfer the money if you would give me your bank account number.

Is it grammatically correct to use adverbs such as "however" in a conditional clause? I personally think it sounds off but I thought I may ask first before making my mind up. I haven't found any articles related to this subject either.

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  • however and the conditional bear no intrinsic relationship to each other.
    – Lambie
    Commented Mar 13, 2019 at 22:49
  • Could you put a clause before the however, now you have read the answers?
    – WendyG
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 11:05
  • I'm sorry I didnt provide enough context in my question. Here's the sentence: I couldn't transfer the money due to the fact that my bank doesn't allow foreign currency on their normal credit cards.
    – Rare
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 11:52

2 Answers 2

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However is a marker of contrast, carrying the sense of "despite that" (see Cambridge Dictionaries).

This is a perfectly normal way to use it, provided that it is a statement that follows another, with a meaning that makes however appropriate. It doesn't matter whether it's conditional.

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However is fine if you introduce a statement that is going to contradict something you've said before.

I am worried about your if-clause, though.

However, I would be able to transfer the money if you gave me your bank account number.

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  • From what I know the "if+ would" construction is usable when making a polite request.
    – Rare
    Commented Mar 13, 2019 at 22:31
  • Yes, it's often used in that way, in my experience.
    – SamBC
    Commented Mar 13, 2019 at 23:30
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    Yes, OMG, that if clause. Admittedly, with many financial institutions, that is the requirement for the procedure known as the "transfer".
    – Ed Grimm
    Commented Mar 14, 2019 at 0:26

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